Keeping our children safe is the number 1 priority for parents and for the school.

When it comes to the internet, for many of us things can be a bit mysterious and sometimes our children seem to know far more about it than we do.

However, just as with other potential dangers, like crossing the road, we must take steps to be in a position that we can supervise, guide and protect our children. Children think they know everything and think that the stories they hear won't happen to them. Sadly, the children who have got into danger by using the internet probably thought the same.

By following the Key Advice below and maybe familiarising ourselves with some of the content from the websites below, we can take huge steps in protecting our children.

Create a culture of sharing at home so it becomes just part of home life that parents are interested in what their children are doing on the computer/internet.

Keep the computer in a family room.

If children wouldn't normally do it in the real world then it's not acceptable in the virtual world either.

Put time restrictions on children's computer/internet use.

Install the Safety Dolphin to home computers.

Set preferences to Google Strict Search for Google Images.

Children should only use their school email account and not sign themselves up to other less moderated and filtered email accounts.

Any webcams should only be attached to a computer in a family room.

A friend online is not the same as a friend in real life.

Take an interest in your children's online friends, just as you would do with their friends in real life.

Internet Safety is about behaviour and not ICT, just as Road Safety is about behaviour around roads and not about the traffic which drives on them.

Don’t go home and unplug the internet! Remember the internet is a brilliant resource but it does reflect the best and worst of human nature. We cannot eliminate every risk to children but we can minimise the risks to an extent that children remain as safe as possible – again very similar to road safety.